Stuffed Eggplant

I love eggplants in any form. During winter, we get the big variety which is ideal for a simple 'Begun Pora' or more elaborate 'Baigan ka Bharta'. However, these little cuties are best to cook whole in pure Indian style like this 'Andhra Style Brinjal Curry'. I just love to enjoy the soft mushy little eggplants coated with masalas with my roti or rice and whenever I found some, ( it is not a very regular in our local market, we usually get the bigger one) I just jump onto them. 
Now, I love 'stuffed veggies' too. So as an obvious choice, I made a delicious filling of peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic and coriander leaves, cut the eggplants to a deep cross, stuffed them and pan fried these purple beauties with a splash of water. Enjoyed the mouthwatering stuffed eggplants with my plain rice. 
I am putting this dish on 'Healthy' category, since very less oil is used, and it contains peanuts and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

• Small Eggplants - 7-8
• Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
• Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
• Minced garlic - 1 heaped tbsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Paprika - 1/2 tsp
• Black salt - as per taste
• Olive oil - 2 tsp

Wash the eggplants and trim the stem if necessary. Make a deep cross incision in each incision but keep them intact at the base. Smear some salt and turmeric and keep aside for 15 minutes.
To make a filling, in a dry pan, toast the peanuts and sesame seeds till golden. Remove from heat and let it cool.

In the grinder, grind the peanuts and sesame seeds together. Mix it with minced garlic, chopped cilantro, black salt, turmeric, brown sugar and paprika. Add 1-2 tbsp of water to bind them together. This is your filling.

Use a spoon to stuff the filling into the cut portion of each eggplant. Make sure, the filling reaches through each cut. Squeeze the eggplant carefully to make the filling stick inside and reaches all corners.

In a flat non-stick pan, add 1-2 tsp of olive oil and swirl to make a thin coat on the pan. When the oil is hot, add a pinch of hing and let it sizzle.

Slide the stuffed eggplants carefully into the pan in a single layer. Fry them for 3 to 4 minutes turning frequently. . 

Add 1/4 cup of water and lower the heat. Cover the pan with a heavy lid. Don't panic, if the filling is oozing out.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, till the eggplants are cooked and water evaporated completely. There will be filling in the pan, crsip them and turn the eggplants carefully to make a coat of the residual filling.

Remove from heat and serve warm with some fresh cilantro on the top.

Stuffed Peppers

Got this lovely green beauties today and made the bandh day a superb one by making a stuffing with 'whatever you can find in your pantry' and then microwaving and finally grilling the peppers lightly with some tadka of jeera and hing. Used very little oil to give it a healthy twist.

Ingredients

• Big fat green chillies - 6-8
• Potato - 2, boiled
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Roased peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Black Salt, cumin powder, Red chilli powder
• Cumin seeds - a pinch
• Hing / Asafoetiga - a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp

Grind the roasted peanuts coarsely, and then make the stuffing with mashed potatoes, chilli powder, chopped onions, Black Salt and cumin powder.

This is how it looks once you mix all the ingredients nicely.

Remove the stem of the peppers and scoop out the seeds carefully. Then stuff them with the mixture. Put them in a microwave safe bowl with a sprinkle of water and micro on high for 5 minutes.

Put a non stick flat frying pan on the flame, add 1 tsp of oil. Then add the cumin seeds with hing.

When they splutter, add the microwaved stuffed peppers carefully on the pan. 

Grill them nicely from all sides 

Serve immediately with your choice of sauce of some interesting dip.

Patol er Dorma - Stuffed Pointed Gourd

Potal er Dorma or stuffed pointed gourd is a very traditional Bengali Recipe where Patol or Parwal or Pointed Gourd is stuffed with fish, meat or for its vegetarian version, with paneer or cottage cheese. People use prepared lentil paste too as a stuffing. This dish can be used as an appetizer or as a curry dish. I made it as a curry  but with a thick gravy made out of curd and other masalas. This dish is known as  'Pur Bhora Doi Patol' too.  With 'Poila Baishakh' or Bengali New Year just round the corner, it is the ideal time to have this all time favorite 'Patol er Dorma' . 

Ingredients

• Patol / Pointed Gourd - 10
• Home made Paneer - 1 cup, grated
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Tomato - 1,
• Green Chilli - 2
• Kishmish / raisin - 1-2 tbsp
• Onion Paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curd - 3 tbsp
• Salt, Sugar, Turmeric - as required

Scrape the body of the patols, cut both the top of the sides and scoop out the seeds from one side. This should be done very carefully so that the pointed gourd case remains intact.

Sprinkle some salt and turmeric and fry the Patols well. 

To make the stuffing, fry the chopped onion with chopped green chilli till golden brown, then add the tomatoes and fry till they are mashed.

Add the scraped inner portion of the patol and fry till oil come out. Now add the crumbled paneer and mix well. Add some soaked raisin or kishmish and fry till the mixture is completely dry. 

Your stuffing is ready. Adjust the salt and sugar. The stuffing should have a sweet note, so adjust the sugar accordingly.

Cool the mixture and stuff the parwal cases with this stuffing.

To make the gravy, fry the onion paste, after some time add ginger and garlic paste.

Add kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder mixed in 1/2 cup water and fry well till water evaporates and oil comes out.

Add the beaten curd with some water with bit of salt and sugar.

When it comes to a boil, add the stuffed pointed gourd and lower the heat. Cook it on slow heat till the gravy thickens and patol is cooked through.

Adjust the seasoning and remove from heat. Serve with plain rice.

Sending this entry to the event 'Poila Baishakh with Veg - Bengali Dishes' organised by 'Kolkata Food Bloggers'.

Bell Pepper Boat

This Tri-Color Bell Pepper boat is a colorful and healthy way to enjoy your vegetables.

Ingredients

• Red, Green and Yellow bell pepper  
• Boiled potato - 2
• Boiled corn - 1 cup
• Onion - 1, sliced finely
• Green Chilli - 1, chopped finely
• Spring Onion - 1 bunch
• Oregano - A pinch
• Salt and sugar - to taste
• Butter - 1 cube

Cut the bell peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Sprinkle little salt over it.

Add butter in a frying pan, When it bubbles, add sliced onion and fry lightly. Add chopped spring onions and mix well. Mash the potatoes well and add it the onion mixture. Next add the boiled corn and fry for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle some oregano when almost done.

Remove from heat and let it cool.

Fill all the bell pepper boats with corn- potato stuffings.

Brush oil to a grill pan and heat it on high.

Arranged the bell peppers on the grill pan in a single layer. Grill for 10 minutes till the bell peppers become soft.

Garnish and serve hot.